ColorTherapy: Putty; or Riviera Baroque

What could such an impossibly beautiful room as this have to do with Color Therapy or a bunch of urban modernists? I had to ask myself the same thing, for indeed I originally wanted to post this picture simply for its prettiness. But there’s something very interesting going on here. Look at the color of the wall: it’s a plain putty color…

Look closer and you’ll notice how perfectly the hue balances out the primary color scheme of the blue chairs, yellow drapes, red floor as well as the gilding and tapestries. The wall color is full, yet it sets back and allows the other elements in the room to come together without overwhelming them.

I’ve noticed elegant grey colors used in other settings, and they can be absolutely gorgeous; the word grey should not be equated with the color of a garbage dumpster. In many of my columns I’ve emphasized dark or dramatic colors, but you don’t necessarily want them in the whole house. Something like this would be perfect for a quiet space, or as the background for a room with a lot going on in it.